Pakistan: Polio virus detected in sewage samples of 15 districts

Islamabad [Pakistan], March 30 (ANI): A recent environmental testing revealed the presence of Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1) in sewage samples from 15 districts across Pakistan, ARY News reported.
The testing, conducted between March 4 and 12, revealed contamination in sewage systems in all four provinces of the country.
In Sindh, nine districts were affected, including Karachi East, South, Korangi, Malir, Larkana, Jamshoro, Ghotki, Kashmore, and Mirpurkhas, as per ARY News.
Four in Punjab which includes Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, and Gujranwala. Additionally, Quetta in Balochistan and Tank in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also reported positive environmental samples.
In another update, samples from 15 other districts tested negative for the virus. However, sources reveal that this marks the 12th instance this year where polio has been detected in environmental samples.
According to ARY News, the total number of positive samples in 2024 has already exceeded 130. So far, six confirmed polio cases have been reported in the country this year.
The rise in polio cases in Pakistan continues, as the country reported another case of the virus in 2025.
The polio case was reported in Thatta Sindh, bringing the total provincial number in 2025 to four and countrywide to six, according to NEOC.
Polio, a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis, still affects many children worldwide. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to prevent it.
Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, along with the completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five, are crucial to ensuring high immunity against this debilitating disease. (ANI)